PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. – Time is a finite commodity. Many people struggle to find the time needed to carry out daily tasks, whether that be working, caring for their children or running errands.
If those individuals had the benefit of saving 450 hours, the equivalent of nearly three weeks of vacation, they may get more accomplished.
Space Launch Delta 45’s “Stop the Silly” campaign, which is run by the Delta’s innovation hub, the Forge, is designed to reduce redundancies and make SLD 45 more efficient. The program recently implemented an initiative that will save the Delta an estimated 450 man-hours.
“Stop the silly is all about eliminating any processes, policies or procedures that get in the way of our Airmen and Guardians doing the mission and getting it done efficiently and effectively,” said 1st Lt. Kerry Kearschner, 45th Contracting Squadron contracting officer. “We have some outdated policies and procedures, and we need to update how we do business and move forward. It’s designed to remove barriers our members face on a daily basis.”
The program started in February when a survey went out across the Delta asking units to identify areas of concern. That was followed by a series of meetings called “blitz sessions” in March where service members and Department of Defense civilian employees came together to identify problems, as well as potential solutions.
Five sessions were held in March that identified 385 data points across 16 categories, Kearschner said.
One area identified for improvement was a recommendation from the 45th Civil Engineer Squadron to delegate the final signatory and approval authority for several forms.
The 45th CES energy section approached the Forge and discussed options on how to reduce administrative redundancies at the Delta and civil engineer commander level, said John Constantinide, 45th CES energy manager.
Across SLD 45 there are 52 utility service agreements that outline the support the Delta provides to each tenant, such as Space-X or United Launch Alliance, Constantinide said.
“Each of these organizations require electricity, water, waste water removal and more to support their mission for every site they have at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,” Constantinide said. “These agreements need to be signed and approved by the Delta commander, as well as the civil engineer commander. There are also annual documents that require completion.”
The 45th CES recommended that the utility service agreements be signed and approved by the 45th CES commander, which would prevent the SLD 45 commander from having to review and sign those forms. The unit also suggested several annual forms be delegated from the 45th CES commander down to the engineering flight chief for approval.
“These recommendations combined could save SLD 45 an estimated 450 man-hours,” Constantinide said. “And that’s just with the tenants we have at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station right now. Saving hours will allow us to support more tenants going forward, which is a large focus of the range of the future. That time can now be used to resolve other issues on the installation or address customer needs rather than spending that time on form completion and coordination.”
Providing utility support for commercial launch partners and other tenants at CCSFS is a large undertaking that accounted for more than $25 million in utility costs in fiscal year 2021, according to the 45th CES energy section. That support enables the space launch mission and since Jan. 1, has supported 25 launch missions.
Identifying ways to enhance capabilities and become more efficient is essential to mission success, Kearschner said.
“Our adversaries are always seeking an edge,” Kearschner said. “We have to counter that. If we make things smarter and more efficient, even at the tactical level, we can have an impact on mission capability in a way that counters our adversaries. I want to empower that innovation and the Airmen and Guardians who make it possible.”